To encourage students to revisit the lesson, have students respond to the following statements on a half sheet of paper. This will provide a self-evaluation to assist students in understanding the lesson.

• One change I will make with my eating habit is…

• I can help others make better food choices by…

With the food pyramid in hand, review the food groups and expand students’ thinking by allowing them to name exotic foods in each group; for example in the fruit and vegetable group, students can name fruits such as kiwi, star fruit, or mango, and vegetables such as rhubarb, zucchini, or jalapeño pepper.

For this lesson it would be helpful if students have a working knowledge of how to access the Internet and how to maneuver through websites. Students should have a working knowledge of units of measurement such as ounce, pound, and cup.

Healthy Food Choices Activity

View the following video clip with students. Note: This video requires a school code through Discovery Education. Alternative videos are provided which do not require a pass code or membership.

• http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=5DC3A34C-F745-48A3-9616-BCA9B0DB5D71 Fruits and Vegetables, running time 4:57

• Alternate videos on healthy food choices:

  http://www.mypyramid.gov/audiovideo/podcastindex.html

1. Give students the food pyramid and talk about the importance of daily consumption of fruits and vegetables. Go to http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/index.html. Students at a computer with Internet access should click Print Materials and a selection from the list to print the pyramid, or use the Food Pyramid handout (S-4-4-1_Food Pyramid.pdf).

2. After students have the food pyramid in hand, they should click on the colors of the interactive “Inside the Pyramid” at http://www.mypyramid.gov/audiovideo/podcastindex.html to learn more about food servings found within Food Groups (S-4-4-1_Food Groups.pdf). Students must be at a computer with Internet access to use this interactive resource themselves.

3. Students should click on the My Pyramid Menu Planner at http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov/planner/launchPage.aspx and build a healthy meal. They will determine the ingredients used in the meals and the origin of the food. Students can also access http://www.myfoodapedia.gov/ to make healthy choices and to see the caloric content of choices they are making.

After putting this information on the interactive pyramid, they should draw a picture and name the food choices they have made, and then put their choices on the Diet Chart (S-4-4-1_Diet Chart.doc).

This section of the lesson provides students the opportunity to reflect on what they have learned so far about making good food choices. Students show what they know by creating their own healthy meals.

Students will complete the Garden in a Glove activity (S-4-4-1_Garden in a Glove.doc).

As a closing activity, students will work in groups to write a fruit and vegetable salad recipe. Students should perhaps discuss whether they are allergic to certain kinds of food.

Extension:

• To extend this activity, students should ask a parent, guardian, or family member to write down his/her favorite meal. Students should determine if that person is eating a healthy meal. If not, they should give the person some healthy meal suggestions.